Access Point (“AP”) devices compliant with IEEE standard 802.11 (the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference) provide the capability to “virtualize” access, thus enabling multiple operators to use the same Access Point (“AP”). Each operator is identified by having the AP broadcast a Service Set Identification (“SSID”) specific to the operator in the 802.11 beacon. The user device station (“STA”—a wireless network client, a desktop computer, laptop, mobile device, cell phone, or PDA) can connect (associate) to a particular operator upon seeing the appropriate SSID. Based on the SSID selected, “treatment” specific to that operator, e.g., Virtual LAN (“VLAN”), Quality of Service (“QoS”), authentication server address, etc., can be applied. In addition, indications of the capabilities of each operator's network can be indicated after the association.
Alternatively, an AP may have only a single SSID and instead use a query-response protocol, such as Access Network Query Protocol (“ANQP”)—a query and response protocol used by an STA (such as a mobile device) to discover a range of information, including the hotspot operator's domain name (a globally unique, machine searchable data element); roaming partners accessible via the hotspot along with their credential type and EAP method supported for authentication; Internet Protocol (“IP”) address type availability (for example, IPv4, IPv6); and other metadata useful in a mobile device's network selection process, as specified in the IEEE standard P802.11u-2011, Amendment 9: Interworking with External Networks (“Amendment 9”), the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. This range of information can be provided by the AP in response to a query from the STA, prior to the STA associating to the AP.
When the AP broadcasts a single SSID there is currently no means to indicate to the STA via ANQP the capabilities supported by each operator network prior to association.